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Kyoto Kitano Tenmangu Shrine

Head of All Tenmangu Shrines

Kitano Tenmangu Shrine in Kyoto is dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, the god of academics, and is the head shrine of more than 10,000 Tenmangu Shrines and Tenjin Shrines in Japan, and is greatly admired by students. Kitano Tenmangu Shrine was founded in 947, and the Sanko-mon Gate and the Main Shrine in its territory are precious historical buildings.

Kitano Tenmangu Shrine 北野天満宮, located in the northwest of Kyoto City, is dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, the god of academics, and is the head shrine of more than 12,000 Tenmangu Shrines and Tenjin Shrines in Japan, and is the birthplace of the Tenjin faith in Japan, worshiped by the student community. Kitano Tenmangu Shrine was founded in 947, and the existing main hall and Sanko-mon Gate were built in 1607 by Toyotomi Hideyori with donations, and are considered masterpieces of Momoyama period architecture.

At the entrance of the worship path of Kitano Tenmangu Shrine, there is an 11.4-meter-high stone torii, also known as Ichi-no-Torii 一之鳥居. It is said that the giant plaque of “Tenmangu” hanging on it weighs more than half a ton.

At the end of the worship path is a wooden Ro-mon Gate 楼門 built in the Momoyama period. On the gate are inscriptions that read “文道の大祖, 風月の本主 (Master of Literature and Poetry)”, a tribute to Sugawara no Michizane.

Guardian Dogs

Sanko-mon Gate built in the Momoyama period, is one of the most distinctive buildings in the shrine, and is also known as the Central Gate, with the three characters “天満宮 (Tenmangu Shrine)” inscribed by the Emperor Go-sai. “The name “Sanko” refers to the sun, the moon, and the stars.

Manywhere Trivia:
In modern times, Sugawara no Michizane was ironically the god of examinations indeed.

After walking through the Sanko Gate, you will see the Main Shrine of Kitano Tenmangu Shrine. The Main Shrine consists of a Worship Hall, a Main Hall, and a connecting Ishi-no-Ma Hall, all of which are different in size and height, resulting in a complex roof structure. This type of architecture is called Yatsumune-zukuri 八棟造, rare in Japan and has been named a national treasure of Japan.

There are more than 2,000 plum trees and 50 kinds of plum trees in Kitano Tenmangu Shrine, which is a famous plum viewing spot in Kyoto. On the 25th of every month, the Tenjin Day, tens of thousands of worshippers gather at Kitano Tenmangu Shrine, forming a spectacular sight.